Owl Habitat Plan Filed; OK for Logging Sought

The Clinton Administration on Thursday filed a plan to protect the old-growth habitat of the northern spotted owl and asked a judge to lift a ban that has halted federal timber sales in the Pacific Northwest.

“The plan outlines a strategy for preserving our natural resources, while recognizing the role timber plays in the Northwest economy,” Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy said in a written statement.

In addition to the forest plan, Administration officials said they filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge William Dwyer in Seattle to lift his 1991 order banning sales of federal timber in the Northwest.

Sales of timber on federal land in Washington, Oregon and Northern California have been virtually halted since the order was issued in connection with a 1989 lawsuit filed by environmental groups.

“We applaud President Clinton’s efforts,” Audubon Society Vice President Brock Evans said. “However, we are disappointed by his failure to fully protect the country’s last remaining ancient forest, salmon and other old-growth dependent species.”